Dispensing device



July 1, 1947. E. ARENsoN DISPENSING DEVICE Filed NOV. 5, 1943Illlllllllllllllllllllfl Patented July 1, 1947 k UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE 10 Claims. l

My invention relates to a coin or token dispensing device of a type thatmay be manually operated by conductors, cashiers and others when makingchange, and the general object of my invention is to provide a device ofthis character including a magazine for holding a supply of coins,tokens or the like and novel means for discharging them from themagazine.

An important object of the invention is the provision of a singlerotatable ejector that is associated with a discharge opening in themagazine, whereby one or any predetermined number of coins, tokens orthe like may be discharged at the will of the operator and at oneoperation of the ejector.

A further object of the invention is the pro- Vision of a magazinesupport and a plurality of interchangeable magazines, so that when onemagazine becomes empty it may be quickly removed from the support and afilled one substituted therefor Without material loss of time.

Another object is the provision of a dispensing device of simple andpractical construction which may be manufactured at low cost and kept inworking condition over aflong period of time without requiring theattention of a mechanic.

Other objects Will hereinafter appear and in order that the inventionmay be fully understood reference will now be had to the accompanyingdrawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the dispensing device, with anintermediate portion of the magazine broken away.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the device.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective View showing means whereby themagazine is detachably connected to the supporting means.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of the ejector and thelower portion of the magazine, which latter is in vertical section.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal section on line 5-5 of Fig.1.

Referring in detail to the different parts, 2 designates the magazine,which is preferably of cylindrical form, open at each end and having asight opening 4 whereby the approximate number of coins or tokens A inthe magazine can be ascertained at a glance. The magazine may beremovably mounted upon any appropriate support, shown in the presentinstance in the form of a bracket 6 having an upright rear portion 8with holes l so that it may be readily secured to a wall or othervertical surface by suitable fastening means such, for instance, asnails or screws. The bracket 6 also has a horizontal base l2 with holesI4 so that it may be secured upon a table or other horizontal support bynails or screws, not shown. Y

The magazine 2 may be removably connected to the bracket 6 by anyappropriate means. In the present instance I have shown such meanscomprising a plate It permanently fixed to the rear portion of themagazine E by a vertical rib i3 adapted to be slid in or out of avertical slot 20 in the upper front portion 22 of the bracket. When therib 8 is slid downward into the slot 20 the plate iii overlaps theslotted portion 22 of the bracket t and thus reliably secures themagazine in an upright position. A number of interchangeable magazinesmay be provided so that when one becomes emptied it may be quicklyremoved from the bracket and a filled one substituted therefor withoutmaterial loss of time.

Referring now more particularly to what I consider an important featureof the invention, 24 designates a rotatable ejector arranged in avertical position at the lower end of the magazine 2, into which itprojects. The ejector 24 may be supported n any appropriate manner inrelation to the magazine. In the present instance I have shown theejector mounted upon a transverse shaft 263, mounted in bearings 28 onthe upper end of a member 30 extending upwardly at an angle from thehorizontal base I2 of the bracket 2, the upper portion of said memberhaving a longitudinal slot 32 through which the ejector freely projects.

The ejector 24 is of disk-like form with a body provided at its rearportion with a series of equally spaced peripheral shoulders 34, 34a,34h and 34e for ejecting the coins or tokens, hereinafter referred to asarticles, from the magazine 2. The shoulders may each be proportioned todischarge a plurality of articles from the magazine at each operation ofthe ejector 24, but in the present instance each shoulder is only ofsuflicient depth to discharge one article at each op eration. Theejector 24 is adapted to be actuated manually through the medium ofselective means which may be of any appropriate size and shape. In thepresent instance I have shown such means in the form of a series ofradial-like arms 36, 36a, Stb and 36e, extending outwardly from thefront portion of the body to the periphery of the ejector 2t and equalin number to the shoulders 3c, 35a, 34h and 34C, respectively. The arms36, ttc, 36h and 35C are spaced apart to leave intervening recesses asshown by Fig. 1, to receive the end of a linger of the operators hand,to prevent it from slipping olf the ejector when operating the latter.Beginning With the initial arm 3S the arms are numbered 1 to 4, inelusive, for indicating to beginners the number of articles delivered atthe operation of the respective arms. The upper portion of the ejector24 projects through apertures 38 and 4t in the lower front and rearportions, respectively, of the magazine 2 and supports the stack `ofarticles A, as shown by Fig. 4. The articles are .contact with themember 30.

ejected one by one from the magazine through a circumferentialhorizontal slot 44 which communicates with the front aperture 38 andextends rearwardly to about half way through the cylindrical wall of themagazine, as shown by Figs. l and 5.

As shown by Figs. 1 and 4, the face of the ejector has seats 48, 48a,48h and 480 associated with the respective shoulders 34, 34a, 34h and340. Each seat extends at an angle from the apex of one shoulder to thebase of the following shoulder and when the ejector is in v normalposition as shown by Fig, 4, the initial seat 48 inclines upward andforward and tilts the articles so that the front portion of the edge ofthe lowermost one will be too high to enter the slot 44 until theejector Vhas advanced clockwise far enough to carry the initial shoulder34 into engagement with the -rear of the article. By that time the seat43 has moved to a horizontal 'position and carried the lowermost articleinto registry with the slot 44 through which the article is then ejectedby the initial shoulder 34. As the lowermost article is advanced by theshoulder 34, it is supported and slides upon the lower opposedhorizontal edges 45 Aof the slot 44, until it becomes unbalanced andeitherI falls into the hand of the operator or into a tray 52 locatedbeneath the ejector 24 and xed to the forward portion l2 of Vthebracket-l .6. By supporting the lowermost article on the lower edges .45of the slot, the article is preventedfrom moving downward out of linewith the slot to a point from which it could not be ejected. The seats48a, 48h and 43C, when passing through the apertures 38 and 4.0, actupon each successive lowermost article in the same -manner as `theinitial seat 4S. As the lowermost article is being ejected through rtheslot 44 it is .prevented from moving laterally and falling from .eitherside of the face of the ejector 24, through the medium of .a pair ofguides 5D xed to diavmetrically opposed sides of the magazine adjacentto the slot 44, Figs. 1 and 5.

The ejector 24 is arranged to turn clockwise when .manually operated andis provided with a stop 54 adapted to contact the bracket arm 30, -whenturned to the limit of its clockwise movement. On being released by theoperator, the ejector is automatically turned backward to nor- ,malposition by means, such, for example, as a f retractile spring E5attached at yone end toa pin 58, xed to the Ainclined member Sil, and atits -other end to a link 60 loosely connected to the ejector by a pivot52. rIhe link 60 also acts as a stop 4by contacting `the member 3) whenthe stop for the hand when turning the ejectorv through differentdegrees toeffect the discharge of one or more articles.

Briefly the operation is as follows: If but one article is desired theoperator cups one hand, places the end ofthe middle finger against theinitial arm 36 and pushes forward until checked by the forward end ofthe iinger coming into The foregoing movement turns the ejector one stepand causes the initial shoulder v34 to eject-the lowermost article fromthe magazine 2. If, two, three or four articles are to be successivelydispensed in a single operation of the ejector 24, the finger tip ispressed against the arm 36a, 36h or 35e, respectively. In each instancethe forward movement of the finger is checked by contacting the member3, except when the arm 36e is operated, whereupon the ejector, aftersuccessively delivering Vfour articles, is checked by the stop 54contacting the member 30. When one or more articles are thus ejectedfrom the magazine 2, they fall-into the cupped hand of the operator sothat they may be handed to the Customer without the delay of pickingthem from the tray or counter. iii preferred the articles may bedelivered to vthe tray 52, instead of the hand of the operator, vin.which event the ejector 24 is actuated by the operator approaching thedesired arm of the ejector with the index finger, from one side instead.of the front of the ejector.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawing itis apparent that I have provided -a device that is well radapted for`the purpose intended and while I have disclosed a preferred form of thedevice, I reserve all rights to such changes `and modifications asproperly fall within ythe scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byyLetters Patent, is:

1. In a dispensing device, a magazine adapted to-hold ,a plurality ofarticles to be dispensed and provided at its lower end with an outlet, avertically disposed rotatable ejector having its ,upper portionassociated with the outlet to dispense articlestherefrom, said ejectorhaving arms extending inwardly from the periphery of the ejector andspaced apart at their outer portions to leave vintervening recesses anyof which is adapted to vreceive the nger of a cupped hand ofthe-operator to actuate the ejector, a support for the ejector includingan inclined member extending downwardly and rearwardly from the ejectorto permit the cupped hand to pass beneath said ejector and inclinedmember and thus receive the ejected articles, said inclined member alsoconstituting a stop for the iinger, spring rmeans for restoring theejector to normal position, means for connecting one end of the springmeans to the ejector, and means for connecting the otherend of thespring means to the ejector support. Y

2. In a dispensing device, a rotatable ejector comprising abody portion,a series of peripheral Vshoulders projecting from said body portion, anda series ormanually selective arms extending inwardly from the peripheryof the ejector and connected to the body portion; in combination withmeans adapted t0 deposit articles upon the periphery of the ejector inadvance of the respective shoulders, and supporting means for the,ejector vand the article depositing means.

-3. ,Ina dispensing device, a rotatable ejector comprisinga bodyportion, a series of peripheral shoulders projecting from said bodyportion, and -a series of arms extending inwardly from the periphery ofthe ejector and connected to the body portion, said arms being spacedapart to leave intervening recesses into any of which a iinger oftheoperator may be inserted; in combination with means adapted to depositarticles upon the periphery of the ejector in advance of the respectiveshoulders, and supporting means for the ejector and the articledepositing means.

4. In a dispensing device, a vertical magazine lforarticles lto bedispensed, said magazine having Vertical front and rear aperturesextending upwardly from its lower end and a horizontal circumferentialdischarge slot for said articles eX- tending rearwardly from the frontaperture with its lower edge aligned with the top of the latter,supporting means, a vertically disposed rotatable ejector mounted on thesupporting means and projecting into the lower portion of the magazineand the apertures, said ejector having an upper peripheral seatextending into the magazine and forming the major portion of a chord ofthe ejector, said seat being inclined to support the articles in themagazine in a tilted position with the front margin of the lowermostarticle extending above the front part of the slot when the ejector isin its initial position, a peripheral shouln der on the ejectorperpendicular to the rear end of the seat for ejecting the lowermostarticle as the latter moves downward to the plane of the slot when theejector is rotated to effect delivery of the lowermost article, andmeans on the ejector whereby the latter can be manually operated.

5. In a dispensing device, a magazine having a discharge opening in itslower portion through which articles may be dispensed, a rotatableejector projecting into said discharge opening land provided with aplurality of peripheral shoulders, each adapted to eject an article fromthe magazine, said ejector also embodying a plurality of selective meansspaced apart to provide intervening recesses for reception of a lingerof the operator whereby the ejector may be rotated one or more steps toeffect the discharge of one or more articles by the shoulders at eachoperation.

6. In a dispensing device, a magazine having a discharge opening in itslower portion through which articles may be dispensed, a rotatable ejector projecting into said discharge opening and provided with aplurality of peripheral shoulders, each adapted to eject an article fromthe magazine, said ejector also embodying selective means comprising aplurality of radial arms spaced apart to provide intervening recesses toreceive a iinger of the operator whereby the ejector may be rotatedthrough one or more degrees to effect the discharge of one or morearticles by the shoulders at each operation.

'7. In a dispensing device, a magazine having a discharge opening in itslower portion through which articles may be dispensed, avertically-disposed ejector associated with said magazine and providedwith a plurality of peripheral shoulders adapted to eject articles fromthe magazine through said discharge opening, said ejector having aseries of peripheral recesses therein equal in number to the peripheralshoulders and spaced apart to admit one or more fingers of the operatorwhereby the ejector may be manually operated to eject one or morearticles at one operation, and supporting means for the ejector.

8. In a dispensing device, a magazine having a discharge opening in itslower portion through which articles may be dispensed, avertically-disposed ejector associated with said magazine and providedwith a plurality of peripheral shoulders adapted to eject articles fromthe magazine through said discharge opening, said ejector having aseries of peripheral recesses therein equal in number to the peripheralshoulders and spaced apart to admit one or more fingers of the operatorwhereby the ejector may be manually operated to eject one or morearticles at one operation, supporting means for the ejector, means onthe ejector adapted to contact the supporting means and thereby checkmovements of the ejector, and means for restoring the ejector to normalposition.

9. In a dispensing device, a magazine for containing articles to bedispensed and provided with a lower open end, front and rear aperturesextending upwardly from said open end and a horizontal'circumferentialdischarge slot extending rearwardly from the upper end of the frontaperture to approximately midway of the magazine, a vertically disposedrotatable ejector provided at its upper portion with a peripheralshoulder and seat which latter inclines upwardly from the base of theshoulder into the lower portion of the magazine through the rearaperture when the ejector is in normal position, said inclined seatbeing adapted to support the articles in a tilted position with thefront porton of the lowermost article disposed above the front portionof the discharge slot and its rear portion spaced in advance of theshoulder, said seat being adapted to pass downward through a horizontalplane as the ejector is rotated and deposit the lowermost article uponthe lower edge of the discharge slot as the peripheral shoulder engagesand advances said lowermost article until the latter is ejected from themagazine.

10. In a dispensing device, a magazine for containing articles to bedispensed and provided with a lower open end, front and rear apertureseX- tending upwardly from said open end and a horizontal circumferentialdischarge slot extending rearwardly from the upper end of the frontaperture to approximately midway of the magazine, a vertically disposedrotatable ejector provided with a series of spaced peripheral shouldersand seats, each of which latter extends at an angle from the base of oneshoulder to the apex of the preceeding shoulder, the initial seat, whenthe ejector is at rest, inclining upwardly into the magazine to supportthe articles in a tilted position with the front portion of thelowermost article disposed above the iront portion of the discharge slotand its rear portion spaced in advance of the following shoulder, eachseat being adapted to tilt the articles as stated and pass downward asthe ejector is operated and deposit an article upon the lower edge ofthe discharge slot as the following shoulder engages and advances thearticle to ej ect it from said discharge slot, and means for restoringthe ejector to normal position.

EMMETT ARENSON.

REFERENCES omini) The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 258,008 Bennor May 16, 1882827,890 Sobolewski Aug. 7, 1906 1,530,906 Nelson Mar. 24, 1925 1,607,796Mellor Nov. 23, 1926 2,215,850 Holdeman Sept. 24, 194.0

'ElOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 3,916 Great Britain 1901

